Speech and Language Therapy Intervention (July 2016)

Published:

Summary:

This programme aims to support children to engage and successfully complete their voluntary and statutory court sentences.

Description:

SALT is an intervention that can be used for people in or at risk of entering the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Current research rates show that 60-90% of children in the CJS have SLCN.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) is a whole service approach, from staff training to working directly with children. Examples of work include;

  • Assessment and identification to see if children have SLCN
  • Modelling therapy activities and strategies to youth justice practitioners
  • Making groups interventions more accessible (e.g. weapons awareness, substance misuse)
  • Direct therapy intervention to develop children- communication skills, from developing their vocabulary to social communication skills
  • Ensuring written documents, for example appointment letters and contracts, are easy to understand

In the ASSETPlus there is a tool to screen all children to identify if they show signs of having a SLCN. To confirm if the child has SLCN, an assessment will need to be conducted by a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT). In Hackney Youth Offending Team (YOT), they have commissioned a full time SLT, initially for two years. The post is split between two SLTs who also work in schools in the local borough.

What Makes it Work:

  • SALT is able to bring another dimension to supporting children to engage in preventive work and the youth justice system
  • SLTs are able to support children to learn new tools and strategies and to use these independently
  • SALT is crucial for children and adults with SLCN to engage in the CJS. Research completed both within a CJS arena and Hackney YOT show that many children- SLCN can directly impact their ability to understand and engage

Implementing the Practice:
In Hackney YOT, the therapists have been commissioned from the NHS. This was following the Hackney SALT service completing a small pilot. This was used as a platform to highlight the need and the potential implementation of SALT in the YOT

  • Initially if there is an interest in gaining a SALT for a criminal justice setting, contact should be made with the local SALT team
  • If you are not able to get support to have a SALT post, it is still worth investing in training for all staff members to increase awareness and look at all written documentation and processes by which children are supported
  • In the last 18 months at Hackney YOT the SLTs have trained YOT staff as well as a range of other professionals (e.g. Social Workers, CAMHS clinicians, youth workers and early intervention officers). This has been to increase the professional- knowledge and understanding of SLCN and develop their confidence in working with individuals with SLCN
  • SALT created a care pathway and referral screen (which is based on the AssetPlus). The referral screen is a dual document; to screen children- SLCN and also to refer children to the SALT service.

Contact:

YOT:Hackney Youth Offending Team
Name:Brendan Finegan
Telephone:020 8356 1107
Email:Brendan.Finegan@hackney.gov.uk